


you're my shining star

by subjunctive



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Awesome Ladies Ficathon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-25
Updated: 2011-07-25
Packaged: 2017-10-21 17:59:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subjunctive/pseuds/subjunctive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elena was special; Caroline was ordinary, trying to be special. Takes place mid-season 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're my shining star

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [The Awesome Ladies Ficathon](http://ineffort.livejournal.com/199061.html) '10.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Elena asks, brown eyes wide. She's always so sweet, so concerned. It's almost sickening.

Caroline gives Elena an _are-you-an-idiot?_ look. "Uh, I'm fine? Still? I don't know what all of your fussing is about lately." As she leaned over the cardboard box in her relentless hunt for silver star decorations, she caught a glimpse of Elena bending slightly, looking avidly at Caroline's neck.

Yanking the strap of her dress up - of course, it won't cover the bruise, faded like yellowed newspaper, and she is going to have to rethink her embargo on turtlenecks if this keeps up, or invest in a few strategic bolero jackets - Caroline smiles sweetly, and ignores, ignores, ignores. It's been two whole weeks since the Founders' Party, for crying out loud, and Caroline has long since moved on, as evidenced by her passionate quest to decorate the celebrity-themed fall dance.

Not that Elena knows there's anything to remember. Caroline has worked very hard on a consistent presentation of Damon-related amnesia, and if Elena knows something more concrete about what's going on in this stupid town and with those stupid Salvatore brothers, Caroline guesses she wouldn't - couldn't? - say anything. Instead, she's made it her mission to pepper their conversations with her concerns about Caroline's welfare, as if she couldn't take care of herself.

That is the really frustrating part. Next to Elena, Caroline has always been ... well ... people like her fine, but she works too hard, too obviously, while Elena makes everything look effortless, and that's earned her a certain amount of indulgent pity from the people of Mystic Falls. Caroline recognizes the looks all too easily. The message was this: Elena was special; Caroline was ordinary, _trying_ to be special.

Until Damon Salvatore.

Damon, the newcomer. Damon, the mysterious older brother. Damon, the darker half.

Damon, whose lies dripped like honey from his pointed teeth (not that Caroline would ever tell, oh no, as an unnameable shiver rolls down her spine). And Caroline had lapped them up.

Well, she's better than that. Strong enough to move on, while Elena is blindly entangling herself further into their web of intrigue.

Elena pulls a silver heart out of her box and holds it up for Caroline's inspection. "What about this? It's silver, might go with the mood."

"No hearts," Caroline says firmly. She's looking for something sharper.


End file.
